


I'm so furious (at you for making me feel this way)

by komhmagnus



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Grumpy Alec Lightwood, I never actually finished Pride and Prejudice so forgive me if that ref sucks, Literature, M/M, More likely than you'd think, Oscar Wilde Puns, Oscar Wilde deserved better, me emphasizing that I'm an english major by writing english classes?, they talk like super basic college kids in one scene lmao i'm so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-11 23:51:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17456642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/komhmagnus/pseuds/komhmagnus
Summary: “You’re the perpetual frowner in class and one day as I’m answering the teacher I intentionally make a very cheesy pun and I can hear crickets but you’re laughing out loud and that makes me feel very much accomplished” AU.





	I'm so furious (at you for making me feel this way)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alistoney](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alistoney/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZIA! I know you like enemies to lovers / enemies to friends to lovers so I thought I'd give it a shot and also try to work in some literary puns lmao  
> I hope you had an amazing birthday!!
> 
> Title is from Gorgeous by Taylor Swift

“The grump is in this class,” Magnus whispers to Maia as they take their seats. It’s the first day of classes, the new semester ripping them away from the sanctuary of winter break with the promise of boring first lectures and slowly going over the syllabus in every single class.

Maia snorts, zeroing in on Alec Lightwood, the grump himself, instantly. Magnus had shared an 18th Century English lit class with him the semester before, and the experience had been enlightening, to say the least. The grump hadn’t liked a _single_ text they’d read last semester. Granted, the Enlightenment wasn’t Magnus’s favorite period of literary history, either, but they were _English_ majors and how does someone not like a _single_ text out of about twenty? And not to mention, every time he spoke in class was downright pessimistic and cynical and very much the definition of brooding. Magnus really doesn’t know how Alec didn’t like _Pride and Prejudice_. The grump was basically Darcy.

“Great,” Maia laughs, pulling a notebook and pen out of her bag. “Now I can finally experience him first-hand instead of hearing you complain later.”

“Oh, you’ll definitely still be hearing me complain later. You can commiserate with me now, though,” Magnus says helpfully, earning a groan.

The rest of the class fills pretty quickly, but Magnus hasn’t looked away from the grump. He probably should, he thinks. The grump doesn’t deserve his time, nor his hatred. It probably wouldn’t affect him in any way, Magnus thinks with a frown. That simply won’t do. Magnus wants to be a thorn in the grump’s side for no reason other than he simply just doesn’t understand how someone can dislike _absolutely everything_.

Finally his attention is diverted when the professor enters the room with the syllabus papers tucked under his arm.

***

The semester is both remarkably and unsurprisingly just like the previous. Mr. Grump never seems pleased by _anything_ they read in class, which Magnus simply cannot fathom for this course. Modernism is an odd period, but it’s eccentric and mocking and full of contradictions. It has _dadaism_ for god’s sake. How could anyone _not_ be happy to learn about the art movement that eventually evolved into memes?

Magnus needs to this man to crack. He needs to find out what makes him tick, what makes him so much as smile.

“It can’t possibly be healthy to frown that often and consistently,” Magnus tells Maia a few weeks into the course. Maia simply rolls her eyes, turning back to Professor Garroway’s powerpoint on _The Importance of Being Earnest_.

“Alright, everyone. I’ve assigned discussion groups for today and a series of questions for you all, and then we’ll come back together and hear as many thoughts as we can before class is dismissed,” the professor says, earning a mixture of sighs and groans from the class.

Professor Garroway runs through the names, sending Maia off without him, Magnus notes glumly. His own name isn’t called until the final group. He sits up sharply, eyes squinting a bit in dismay as he realizes the grump hasn’t been called either.

“Alec, Magnus, Raj, and Grace, you’ll be the last group.”

With a resigned sigh, Magnus stands and joins the rest of his group, refusing to so much as even look at Mr. Grumpy Pants. Instead, he focuses his gaze on the sheet of discussion questions.

“‘Discuss Wilde’s interest in the duality of the self,’” he says, reading off the first question to the group. “Well,” Magnus starts, “he was a gay man in a time that homosexuality was a punishable crime. He certainly spent much of his life hiding that aspect of himself from others.”

“He was caught, eventually, though.” Magnus’s eyes snap up to meet Alec’s. “He went to prison and died shortly after his release,” the grump continues. _Of course_ , he went pessimistic. It’s a fact, though, and Magnus really, _really_ shouldn’t be this annoyed. His blood boils.

Raj slides the paper away from Magnus to peek at the questions. “‘How is Wilde’s interest reflected in texts like _The Importance of Being Earnest_ and _The Picture of Dorian Gray_?,’” he reads.

“In _Dorian Gray_ , his misdeeds are literally reflected in the portrait,” Grace says. “He doesn’t age, but the portrait gets uglier and uglier.”

“Same,” Alec mutters under his breath, earning a snicker from Grace. Magnus just stares, unable to form words. The grump just _joked_. It was self-depreciating, sure, but he _joked_. Magnus wonders if he’ll see pigs flying around if he were to look out the window.

“In _Importance of Being Earnest_ there’s lots of great polite but exceedingly petty scenes,” Raj says. “Like the tea scene with Cecily and Gwendolen.”

“The sugar!” Grace exclaims. “That was iconic. Do you think Wilde was petty like that?”

“I sure hope so,” Magnus laughs. “Can you imagine? The man wore a purple velvet coat. Wilde must’ve been wild at parties, if you know what I mean.” Alec stares at him, as if he can’t quite believe Magnus made such a ridiculous joke. Maybe that’s how he can get under his skin, Magnus thinks for half a second. Maybe the grump _despises_ puns. Magnus certainly wouldn’t be surprised.

But then the grump surprises him. Alec _laughs_. He tries to hide it in his arm, but he can’t stop the shaking of his shoulders or the gleam in his eye. Alexander Lightwood, the grump to end all grumps, _laughed_. At a pun. _And not even a good one_ , Magnus thinks.

Before he can say anything else, Professor Garroway calls everyone back to attention. The rest of the class passes quickly as each group shares. “Don’t forget about the exam on Monday,” the professor calls as they all head for the door.

Magnus snags Alec’s arm before he can think better of it. Alec turns to him with a raised eyebrow. “I was wondering if you’d want to get coffee and study together sometime this weekend? Maia and I were planning to camp out in Java Jones, if you’d like to join us.”

Alec hesitates for a moment, opening his mouth in silence. Finally he nods. “Yeah, that’d be great actually.” He gestures to Magnus’s phone. “I can give you my number, so we can figure out a time.”

***

Alec’s smile is beautiful. Magnus notices every time he sees him now. He can’t believe he never noticed before. There’s so much more to Alexander Lightwood than just a grump, and Magnus is grateful to have learned it.

He just hopes Alec feels the same way.

They’ve hung out several times since that first study session, getting coffee or lunch occasionally. Just as friends, but Magnus is beginning to think he wants more. He doesn’t want small, polite, _friendly_ smiles from Alexander Lightwood. He wants so much more. He wants a smile that’s just for him, one that speaks of trust and affection and maybe even love.

Hatred walks a fine line from love, Magnus has realized over the last few weeks. Maybe if he’d paid better attention in his literature classes instead of shooting glares and imaginary daggers at his grumpy new friend-- _crush_ , he thinks immediately--he would’ve seen that a long time ago.

Now he’s standing outside of Alec’s apartment, hand raised to knock but not quite ready to connect with the door. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes as he slowly exhales and tries to ground himself. His heart feels as though it’s about to lift off. “You can do this, Bane,” he mutters to himself.

It’s not like he _hasn’t_ faced rejection before. It’ll hurt, and he knows that, but he’ll be okay, won’t he? He survived his last breakup, survived the gifts of pain and feelings of inadequacy that she’d given him when she left and twisted in the knife. He could certainly handle Alec Lightwood rejecting him. _Hatred and love_ , he thinks again, almost making himself laugh at the thought of referring to him solely as some variation of “Grumpy” again.

He knocks before he loses his nerve and the door swings open a moment later. Alec’s eyes widen at the sight of him.

“Magnus, hey,” Alec says. “What’s up? We weren’t supposed to meet for coffee, or something, were we?” There’s a slight tinge of worry in his voice and Magnus’s heart feels soft.

“No, but I, uh...I wanted to ask you if you wanted to get dinner tonight?” Magnus asks, hating how nervous his own voice sounds.

“Yeah, sure,” Alec answers immediately, like it’s no big deal. “Why couldn’t you just text me?” he asks and Magnus realizes. _Oh_. _He doesn’t know I mean—_

“No, I meant, uh...I meant like a date, Alexander,” he says, already preparing himself for the worst.

He doesn’t need to worry, though.

Alec’s smile consumes his face, eyes lighting up in a way that’s almost disbelieving. He reaches out and takes Magnus’s hand in his own. “Oh, well the answer is absolutely, then.” _My very own Darcy_ , Magnus thinks.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! Comments and kudos are appreciated 💖  
> Find me on tumblr and twitter @banesapothecary


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